In embodiments of systems and methods for enabling voting by a controlled-environment (e.g., correctional) facility resident (e.g., incarcerated individual), a controlled-environment facility management system, or the like, may determine federal, state and/or local laws and/or rules concerning the resident's legal right to vote and determine whether the resident is registered to vote in a jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, with respect to the resident's right to vote in the jurisdiction. In response to a determination that the resident is not registered to vote in that jurisdiction, the facility management system, or the like, may provide documents required for the resident to register to vote, to the resident, for completion and/or execution. The facility management system, or the like, may file, in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, resident-executed documents required for the resident to register to vote.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A system for enabling voting by a controlled-environment facility resident comprising: a controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device comprising: at least one device processor; and a device memory coupled to the at least one device processor, the device memory configured to store device program instructions executable by the at least one device processor, the device program instructions executable by the at least one device processor to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to: request and accept identification information from a controlled-environment facility resident operating the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device; and verify, in conjunction with at least a controlled-environment facility management system associated with a controlled-environment facility housing the resident, the identification information; the controlled-environment facility management system comprising: at least one system processor; and a system memory coupled to the at least one processor, the system memory configured to store system program instructions executable by the at least one system processor, the system program instructions executable by the at least one system processor to cause the controlled-environment facility management system to: determine federal, state and/or local laws and/or rules concerning the resident's legal right to vote; determine whether the resident is registered to vote in a jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, with respect to the resident's right to vote in the jurisdiction; provide in response to a determination that the resident is not registered to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, documents required for the resident to register to vote, to the resident, for completion and/or execution; and file, in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, in response to a determination that the resident is not registered to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, resident-executed documents required for the resident to register to vote.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein: execution of the system program instructions further cause the controlled-environment facility management system to: receive an electronic ballot for the resident to vote; deliver the electronic ballot to the resident, via the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device, for voting; and execution of the device program instructions further cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to: present the electronic ballot to the resident for voting; and electronically cast the ballot, after the ballot is executed by the resident, to the resident's jurisdiction of residency, in accordance with the laws and/or rules of the resident's jurisdiction of residency.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein, upon receipt of a paper ballot for the resident to vote, execution of the system program instructions further cause the controlled-environment facility management system to direct delivery of the paper ballot to the resident and direct casting of the paper ballot, after the paper ballot is executed by the resident, in the resident's jurisdiction of residency, in accordance with the laws and/or rules of the resident's jurisdiction of residency.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the system program instructions further cause the controlled-environment facility management system to request, in response to the determination that the resident is not registered to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, the documents required for the resident to register to vote from the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controlled-environment facility management system requests the documents required for the resident to register to vote electronically.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the documents required for the resident to register to vote are provided to the resident, by the controlled-environment facility management system, electronically, via the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the system program instructions further cause the controlled-environment facility management system to at least partially complete the documents required for the resident to register to vote to include at least the address of the controlled-environment facility as the address of the resident.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the system program instructions further cause the controlled-environment facility management system to at least partially complete the documents required for the resident to register to vote to include at least the name of the resident and any required identification information.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the system program instructions further cause the controlled-environment facility management system to enable the resident, via at least the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to obtain a form of identification and/or identification information required by law and/or rules to register to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is determined to reside.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controlled-environment facility is a correctional facility, the resident is an incarcerated individual of the correctional facility, and the federal, state and/or local laws and/or rules concerning the resident's legal right to vote pertain to the rights of incarcerated individuals to vote.
11. A method for enabling voting by controlled-environment facility residents: requesting and accepting, by a controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device, identification information from a controlled-environment facility resident operating the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device; verifying, by a controlled-environment facility management system associated with a controlled-environment facility housing the resident, the identification information; determining, by the controlled-environment facility management system, federal state and/or local laws and/or rules concerning the resident's legal right to vote; determining, by the controlled-environment facility management system, whether the resident is registered to vote in a jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, with respect to the resident's right to vote in the jurisdiction; providing, by the controlled-environment facility management system, in response to a determination that the resident is not registered to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, documents required for the resident to register to vote, to the resident, for completion and/or execution; filing in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, by the controlled-environment facility management system, in response to a determination that the resident is not registered to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, resident-executed documents required for the resident to register to vote; receiving, by the controlled-environment facility, a ballot for the resident to vote; providing, by the controlled-environment facility, the ballot to the resident for voting; and casting, by the controlled-environment facility, the ballot, after the ballot is executed by the resident's jurisdiction of residency, in accordance with the laws and/or rules of the resident's jurisdiction of residency.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining federal state and/or local laws and/or rules concerning the particular resident's right to vote comprises: determining residency of the resident, with respect to any existing legal right by the resident's right to vote in a jurisdiction in which the controlled-environment facility exists; and determining residency of the resident, with respect to any right by the resident's right to vote in a jurisdiction other than the jurisdiction in which the controlled-environment facility exists.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising requesting, by the controlled-environment facility management system, in response to the determination that the resident is not registered to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is deemed to reside, the documents required for the resident to register to vote.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the documents required for the resident to register to vote are provided to the resident electronically.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein filed resident-executed documents required for the resident to register to vote lists an address of the controlled-environment facility as the address of the resident.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the controlled-environment facility management system partially completes the documents required for the resident to register to vote to include at least the address of the controlled-environment facility as the address of the resident.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controlled-environment facility management system partially completes the documents required for the resident to register to vote to include at least the name of the resident and any required identification information.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising enabling the resident to obtain a form of identification and/or identification information required by law and/or rules to register to vote in the jurisdiction in which the resident is determined to reside.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ballot is received and/or cast electronically.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ballot is a paper ballot.
21. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controlled-environment facility is a correctional facility, the resident is an incarcerated individual of the correctional facility, and the federal state and/or local laws and/or rules concerning the resident's legal right to vote pertain to the rights of incarcerated individuals to vote.
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December 23, 2020
May 10, 2022
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